Sizing Rio

Sizing Rio really impressed with the manner in which he won the Grade 3 For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan on Sunday, and he is a really promising young horse.

Andrew Lynch had settled him just behind Organisedconfusion over the first three hurdles before allowing him to stride on going out on his final circuit. He hurdled accurately, travelled really strongly out in front, and was still going nicely as he started to ease ahead coming to the second last. Ted Veale laid down a strong challenge over the last and up the run-in on the inside, but Sizing Rio picked up well again once pressed, which was really likeable, and he was going away again at the line with seemingly plenty left in the tank.

Andrew Lynch said afterwards that he wasn’t that happy going around the bends, so he may be even better going right-handed – he had clocked a time that was 10 seconds faster than the highly-regarded Waaheb’s time on the day when he went right-handed on his previous run at Fairyhouse. The time was very good again here, the best of the day, slightly better than that recorded by Whatuthink in beating Voler La Vedette in the Lismullen Hurdle.

Henry de Bromhead said afterwards that Sizing Rio’s schooling over fences has been savage, he is a chaser in the making, but he could be a high-class novice hurdler this term in the meantime. He will probably be better in a better race in which they go faster and in which he doesn’t have to make the running, and will be very interesting when he steps up further in grade now, probably at Leopardstown over Christmas.

11th November 2012